Exploration Results, Hydrocarbon Potential and Future Strategies for the Northern Galilee Basin

Abstract

Exploration activity in the northern Galilee Basin has been sporadic and is still at an immature stage. Recent geological investigations by the Queensland Department of Resource Industries have brought about a better understanding of the geological setting and stratigraphic evolution of the basin. These investigations also identified key source and reservoir units, determined maturation trends and delineated areas with hydrocarbon potential. The geological results indicate that the Aramac Coal Measures and Betts Creek beds contain the most favourable source and reservoir rocks. Thermal modelling of vitrinite reflectance data suggests that various parts of the basin reached maturity for hydrocarbon generation at different times. Integration of the geological results and thermal modelling has enabled exploration concepts to be developed for the basin. Application of these concepts has highlighted areas along the western margin of the Koburra Trough and eastern Maneroo Platform, and areas adjacent to the Cork Fault and the Wetherby Structure in the Lovelle Depression that warrant further exploration.

Sedimentology and stratigraphic architecture of the Late Permian Betts Creek Beds, Queensland, Australia

“…The northern Galilee Basin is bounded to the east by the Drummond Basin, to the north by the early Paleozoic Lolworth-Ravenswood Block, and to the west by the Precambrian Mount Isa Block and Georgina Basin (Evans, 1980;Scott and Hawkins, 1992;Hawkins and Green, 1993;Figure 1b). Two depressions, the Koburra Van Heeswijck, 2004) and Bowen (from Fielding et al, 2001) Basins.…”

“…Therefore, determining the lithostratigraphy of the basin is heavily dependent on limited subsurface data. The basin is divided into southern and northern regions at approximately 24° S (Hawkins and Green, 1993). This paper focuses on exposures near the northeastern margin of the Galilee Basin.…”

“…Basement comprises the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous Drummond Basin to the east (Evans, 1980), the early Paleozoic metasedimentary and intrusive rocks of the Thomson Orogen in the center (Evans, 1980), and Precambrian to early Paleozoic metamorphic rocks west of the Cork Fault (Vine, 1976;Hawkins and Green, 1993). Much of the Galilee Basin is deeply buried beneath Jurassic-Cretaceous and Cenozoic sediments of the Eromanga Basin, with the only significant surface exposure along the eastern and northeastern basin margin (Figure 1a,b).…”

“…During the Late Permian, sediments from the Bowen Basin spilled across the Springsure Shelf into the Galilee Basin , and may have buried the bounding ridges, thereby connecting not only the Bowen and Galilee Basins, but also the Cooper Basin (Hawkins, 1978). Triassic strata in the basin are dominantly fluvial (Rewan Group, Warang and Clematis Sandstones, and Moolayember Formation; Hawkins and Green, 1993).…”

“…In this study, the effects of sea level and tectonics are dominant Hawkins and Green, 1993); (c) geology of the Hughenden area (modified from Vine and Paine, 1974). controls on the sediment body architecture and the relationship between these and autogenic controls can be differentiated.…”